Nakoula was identified as the "key figure" behind Innocence of Muslims, the film that sparked riots across the Muslim world. His arrest comes on the same day one of the actresses in the film took her civil case against him to federal court in Los Angeles.

"In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Los Angeles, Cindy Lee Garcia, an ordained minister and actor, asserts that Nakoula violated copyright law over her performance in the film, leading her to believe the movie was a historical adventure titled 'Desert Warrior.' When Nakoula allegedly posted a trailer on YouTube in July, it falsely portrayed Garcia as a character who made incendiary accusations against the Prophet Mohammed, the suit says."

Nakoula, a Christian originally from Egypt, went into hiding after he was identified as the man behind the film.